Giizhik - Cedar
These earrings hang just under 4" long and 1" wide on sterling silver ear hooks. Handstitched with miyuki delica glass seed beads.
I specifically made these earrings with eastern red cedar in mind since they're my favorite.
When I first started beading we placed the desk Serge built for me facing the butte behind our apartment towards the unfamiliar high desert where there stood a few dozen eastern red cedars covered in juniper berries.
These trees stood tall next to my window while I learned this craft that felt so natural to my hands and connected me to this sacred part of my self. I'd always thank them when I used their branches 🌿
It was during that same time that my auntie gifted me some of my grandmother Jackie's old jewelry so I could make use of the beads. They turned out to be spirit beads - juniper berries that had dried and were hollowed out by ants and used as protection beads. I loved the serendipity in this small connection to Giizhik so before we moved I made sure to harvest some of the juniper berries from those trees (pictured here) so I could make something with both my grandma's beads and my own one day.
Giizhik is used as a purifier, for protection, and has many restorative medicinal uses.